Shimmering Crystals
by Super Vegetarott
Summary: As he prepares to make his final stand against Frieza, Bardock is hit with a vision of his demise. Swearing vengeance on the tyrant, Bardock narrowly escapes Vegeta's destruction, but, due to his previous wounds, falls comatose. Upon recovery many years later, Bardock must face challenges, old and new as he reunites with his second-born. Will he be able to adapt to this new world?
1. Chapter I: Fight Another Day

_Before we begin this story, I felt the need to add a small A/N to the beginning of this story. I realize that this idea is a bit overdone(i.e. Bardock escaping from Vegeta's destruction), but the story makes a very noticeable divergence from many of these other fics by the end of the chapter. _

* * *

**Shimmering Crystals Prologue – Fight Another Day**

Bardock stood alone, looking into the crimson skies of Planet Vegeta. Just above the atmosphere was Frieza, the mighty Arcosian who was universally known as the overseer of the Planet Trade Organization—the most feared being in all of existence.

He was about to attempt the impossible, he realized. Frieza's power far outclassed anything that a Saiyan warrior could ever hope to achieve. However, he wasn't about to let that stop him, not when the very fate of the Saiyan race was at stake. His heart was pounding, his blood boiling with anticipation. He would either prevail over his former overlord, the one who, with a simple command to Dodoria, had put him and his task force through such strife and agony… or die trying, alone and forgotten.

At first, their relationship as business partners had worked out well—Frieza allowed them to conquer other worlds with the use of the empire's technology, which, in turn, satiated their lust for battle. Planet Vegeta was soon renovated into a military base for the business, allowing them for better thriving civilization and better prosperity—life couldn't be better for the barbaric savages after being employed by the seemingly-friendly Arcosian. It seemed to have been a beneficial relationship for both parties, but then the Frost Demon had begun to take note of the Saiyans' overwhelming potential.

Though their power was inconsequential when compared to Frieza's, the Arcosian tyrant feared their strength in numbers. As such, his right-hand man—Zarbon, the narcissistic, self-proclaimed beauty—had recommended wiping them all out. Frieza had heeded such advice, eventually deeming it a good idea to do so.

Now, at this very moment, said Frost Demon was currently occupying the upper atmosphere of Planet Vegeta—ready to vaporize the planet without so much of a battle. In truth, the lizard-resembling creature did fear them—if they were to hold an uprising at the moment, there was a _slight _chance they could succeed. Needless to say, Frieza couldn't allow that to happen.

Due to his psychic abilities, Bardock knew he hadn't much time to make his last stand—it was now or never. Beginning to levitate, the Saiyan prepared to blast off to his destiny…

…when suddenly, something flashed through his mind like a half remembered dream.

* * *

_Bardock lunged through the upper atmosphere of Planet Vegeta, ruthlessly fending off a continuous garrison of soldiers as he did so. Though they had the advantage in numbers, the angered warrior refused to allow that fact to deter him from his ultimate goal. With each round of soldiers, the Saiyan continuously fended them off with a combination of well-maneuvered blows, decimating them in his wake._

_However, he soon found that his previous wounds were catching up to him; he couldn't endure the pain much longer. As such, he made a foolish pause, which would prove to be his undoing; he was immediately subdued by a swarm of soldiers. Trapped within the clump of warriors, Bardock found himself incapable of moving even the slightest limb._

_Unfortunately for these soldiers, the revenge-lusting warrior wasn't keen on giving up so easily. Summoning whatever reserves he had left in his body, Bardock summoned his azure aura and released it around his immediate flank in a maelstrom of energy, resulting in his foes being instantly incapacitated. They fell into the lower atmosphere of Planet Vegeta, unconscious, though the spiky-haired Saiyan didn't even spare them a glance—they weren't his main concern. All that was on his mind was revenge—pure, utter retribution for what Frieza had ordered upon him and his people. Though he may not have gotten along with some of his fellow warriors so well, Bardock respected the Saiyan code of honor just as much as the next tail-donning humanoid. To think that Frieza would try to deny that from him and his kin was just purely unacceptable…_

_Fueling himself with these thoughts, Bardock dashed forward once more, barreling through a massive pack of soldiers, his burning aura never once faltering. How many soldiers had he slain? He didn't know. All that mattered was that he gained revenge—his rightful revenge. The death toll was inconsequential; as long as Frieza's life was snuffed out this day, Bardock didn't care how many lives he had to take._

_Suddenly, he was trapped by another body of soldiers, rendering him incapable of moving. However, unlike before, Bardock was able to summon a burst of energy from his right palm, which he then detonated instantaneously. The soldiers, like their predecessors, immediately fell back into the gravity of the Saiyan homeworld, deceased._

_"Frieza!" the Saiyan shouted, ablaze with absolute fury. The spaceship was in clear sight; there was no escape. At last, the moment of truth had come… he would either prevail here, or perish, like the rest of his race would. The final battle was only moments away._

* * *

Confidence filled the scarred Saiyan as he reveled in what he'd just seen. Now, he knew that it was truly his destiny—he would be able to overthrow Frieza and prevent the extinction of his people. 'Yes… I can do this! Frieza, you'll pay for everything, you traitorous bastard! Tora… Fasha… this one's for you! I'll make him feel every drop of our combined wrath!'

However, just as he was about to take off into the skies above, his psychic powers allowed him a vision that would forever alter his fate…

* * *

_The blazing sphere swallowed Bardock's Final Spirit Cannon whole, not even remotely faltering from its target—Planet Vegeta. It traveled forward, the radiation of the mighty Supernova beginning to sear his flesh—the burning, blistering feeling told him all he needed to know. _

_He, like the rest of his comrades, was fated to die on this day._

_The false illusions had ceased. There would be no retribution for the Saiyans on this day; they were truly destined to fall by the Arcosian's hand, like many more races before him… and, certainly, many more to follow._

_Nothing could be changed; nothing could be altered. The legacy of the Saiyans… was over._

* * *

Bardock snapped awake, panting heavily. It seemed he'd fallen prone to another one of those psychic visions—one that had, quite truthfully, saved him from utter and certain death.

Now, however, posed the imminent question: what was his next course of action? The bandana-wearing Saiyan had seen the future; he knew that, no matter how arduously he battled his former overlord, he wouldn't prevail. It was a harsh awakening for him—a dark reality.

Just when all hope seemed lost, his thoughts were set ablaze when he remembered his fallen comrades. Clenching his fist, Bardock let out a ferocious growl, angered by the fact they were all forever lost to him. 'Borgos… Shugesh… Fasha… Tora… I led you through countless missions, missions that not even some of Frieza's finest soldiers could clear. You all gave me your full trust and cooperation… did I… take that for granted_?' _

Sadly, he wouldn't have the chance to ponder all these new thoughts and sensations, for Frieza's sphere of a fiery orange hue began to come into view.

In that moment, all his concern was abandoned. He had no time to lament over his losses; now, he needed to regroup and find victory. However, as his visions had quite clearly shown him, victory was impossible. What was he left to do?

Though this choice would've been condemned by his fellow Saiyans, Bardock found himself unable to care at this moment in time. He knew that there was no hope for his people to survive. He knew that, no matter how valiantly he fought on this day, he would never emerge victorious against the mighty tyrant.

He knew he had to run.

A familiar translucent arc of energy outlined the scarred Saiyan's figure; he closed his eyes, reveling in his power... power, that, unfortunately, was not enough to stop his former overlord from destroying his planet. 'Frieza… I may not be strong enough to make you suffer your rightful fate now… but mark my words, you monster, you'll pay for everything you've done to our people.'

With that, he dashed off into the skies of a slowly-turning orange, drowning out the cries of shock and horror of his fellow Saiyans. 'You may all die today, my fellow Saiyans… but your deaths will be avenged, I swear it… not one of you will have perished for nothing…'

* * *

Not even ten minutes later, the planet classified as Vegeta exploded in a brilliant orange flare of light, instantly incinerating all of the life forms on said planet. They died without class, without honor—a way that Bardock refused to perish. His life's purpose wasn't over quite yet. Until he had Frieza's lifeless skull beneath his boot, he would never rest peacefully.

* * *

There was one thing that Bardock hadn't accounted for, however. Though he'd cheated death by fleeing from the Supernova's trajectory, it had been far too late to escape the attack unscathed. The raw power beyond the detonation of Planet Vegeta flung Bardock's space pod off of its predetermined path; the sudden jerk in direction forced the scarred Saiyan's head to make a nasty collision with the side of the spacecraft, causing his vision to falter for a brief moment.

Things began to spin; colors began to distort. Bardock could do nothing as darkness began to creep up his peripheral vision, slowly beginning to take him. Slowly but surely, Bardock's vision began to grow hazy, and soon, he ultimately faded to black...

* * *

_Though Bardock's fate was uncertain, hope was not lost for the Saiyan race. His son, Kakarott, had been sent to Planet Earth on a mission that would forever change him; there, he hit his head and grew up to be a kind, gentle soul who defended the Earth as its number one savior. As Son Goku, the Saiyan reborn, He would go on to marry a headstrong woman named Chi-Chi, who would bear him a child named Son Gohan, birthing another Saiyan into the world._

_Goku and Gohan, however, were not the only other two remaining Saiyans in existence. Prince Vegeta and two others were taken in by Frieza himself and made to work for the Planet Trade Organization. Under the tyrant's hand, they grew to be ruthless mercenaries with unbelievable power... especially the prince, who still remained Frieza's favorite of the trio. Though they despised the Arcosian overlord, they hadn't the power to usurp him; thus, they were forced to lie in wait and bide their time for their opportunity._

_And as for Bardock..._

* * *

He awoke with a startle, bolting up right with a startled pant. "W-Where am I…?" Upon further observation, he found that he was in some sort of odd, cramped household. The walls were an alabaster coloration, as was the ground below him.

Just as he was about to roll off the cot provided for him, he heard a soft voice speak to him, startling him and breaking him out of his thoughts.

"H-Hello, sir. We're glad to see you're awake. Welcome to Planet Brench."

* * *

_Hello, readers, and welcome to _Shimmering Crystals_! It has been far too long since I've uploaded anything on FFN(this was initially released yesterday, but due to some glitches with creating summaries, I took it down). Admittedly, I've had this chapter written for a long while; I decided not to publish it for a while in order to write a few chapters ahead. Currently, I'm about mid-way through Chapter 4(my original plan was to write 10, but I simply couldn't wait any longer) and hope to continue, but ultimately that decision will be left to you, the readers. As I do with most, if not all, of my prologues, I'm going to ask for you to please give your feedback on this chapter. While reader interest doesn't drive my inspiration, it_ does _help considerably._

_The credit of this cover(and three others that you can find on deviantart[username SinsoftheFatherdbzff]) are by Roseblade22, one of my closest friends on this site and a fantastic writer in her own right. Please check out her stories; you won't regret it!_

_As stated in the chapter, Bardock is indeed on Planet Brench, though he is _not _in Age 761(the year Raditz arrives on Earth), nor will the story skip to that part quite yet - we'll find out just what age he's in next chapter. Bardock, before eventually meeting his second-born, will be going through some trials of his own. I can't say what they are, of course, but rest assured that we'll be in the real DBZ timeline before long... and trust me, you'll be seeing some very familiar characters _very _soon._

_Now, you may think that this is your same-old "Bardock redemption" story. __I can make one promise: it won't be. __You will _not _see Bardock become the main hero of this story, nor will you see him turn to the side of good _instantaneously_. His redemption will be a slow, gradual change that may not entirely result in him joining the side of good. __This will, without a doubt, be one of my more morbid fics. It won't be graphic torture or anything like that, but there will be very dark and morbid themes within this story. This Bardock is no hero; rather, he is a lone Saiyan who acts on his own accord and his own agenda. How will this affect Goku and company? We'll see._

_Thanks for reading this opening chapter, and rest assured that chapters will be far longer. I tend to struggle with prologues being lengthy chapters._

_Keep on reading, and I'll see you all again soon! _


	2. Chapter II: Fast Forward

**Saiyan Saga – Part 1: Fast Forward**

_Age 759_

Upon hearing the voice next to him, Bardock, startled, promptly fell to the floor. He hissed in pain the moment he made contact with the ground—apparently, he hadn't completely healed yet. "B-Brench?!" As far as he knew, he'd programmed the spacecraft to head to Planet Korn… what went wrong?

"Y-Yes, sir, Planet Brench," came the stuttered reply of the short child. His skin was a light blue – almost teal – coloration, his eyes a blood-red. "My name is Siaso, and we've been caring for you for a while. I'm going to go tell Father of your awakening… please stay here for a moment." He turned his back on the Saiyan, swiftly walking out of the house.

As Bardock turned to watch the child's departure, he was utterly perplexed by the non-hostility in his actions. It seemed as if the Brenchian held his full trust in the spiky-haired warrior not to do anything rash… why was that? Did he not know the might of the Saiyans; did he not know about their countless conquests and cold-blooded murders? Being treated with such kindness could almost be considered a form of disrespect to such a warrior like himself.

Then again, he realized, had it not been for these generous people, he would've perished just the same as the rest of his fellow Saiyans—alone, swiftly, and without honor. Perhaps allies would be what he needed in order to quell Frieza, but there was a dominating thought in his mind as of the moment: where was the tyrant himself? Where was Frieza now? Had he been stopped by a group of traitors, or was he still running amok? The answer eluded him, unfortunately, though he had a nasty feeling that it was the latter...

Out of his peripheral vision, the scarred Saiyan saw the Brenchian child approach him once more. Immediately turning to face him, Bardock let out a small grunt as a sign that he acknowledged his presence. "What?"

"Father wants to talk with you," came the reply of Siaso, slightly more composed than his previous conversation with the alien. "We're not used to strangers just crash-landing on Brench… he wants to find out why you're here. Please, follow me. I'll take you to them."

Bardock let out a derisive snort as the child walked out of the room, though he soon found himself following the blue-skinned tyke out the door as he prepared to figure out just what had happened after his accident. 'Frieza most likely expanded his empire even further while I was out of action—perhaps he's conquered this world as well. It might not be the smartest move to mention my heritage to these aliens; that damn lizard might've built up a prejudice against the Saiyans.'

For a moment, the thought really settled itself into his mind: his race, his people, they were all gone, wiped away as if they'd never existed by the Arcosian overlord. It was sickening to the spiky-haired Saiyan to recognize this, but nevertheless, it was true. Shugesh, Borgos, Fasha, and Tora… they no longer were with him; Dodoria had snuffed their lives out so easily. King Vegeta had been dispatched of as well, most likely at the hands of the tyrant himself—Frieza had always had an obsession with the king's heir, the prince with the same moniker.

'Frieza must've kept Vegeta alive,' Bardock reasoned in his mind as he walked forward, absentmindedly turning to follow Saiso on his path. 'He'd had quite the power as a child; one can only imagine the heights of power he's achieved now…' That thought caused Bardock's eyes to widen, realizing just what that meant.

'…Has he outclassed even my own battle power? Frieza wouldn't have allowed him to train much, would he? Surely even Frieza realizes that a Saiyan's power grows exponentially after a near-death experience… within a few missions' time, he could perhaps outclass Dodoria or Zarbon. But maybe that was his goal all along, to replace his right-hand men with the prince?! And what of the Saiyans that were off-planet during Vegeta's destruction? I doubt that all the Saiyans could've been on-planet when Frieza destroyed it; could there be other survivors like myself?'

Suddenly, Bardock returned to reality and let out a sudden gasp. 'Wait, Raditz, he was—'

"We're here, sir," interjected Saiso as he stepped out of the scarred Saiyan's path and took a seat on a chair. "My father, Saizor, is in the next chamber; he's requested to talk with you alone. Please, do go inside."

Shooting the child one final glance, the bandana-wearing Saiyan gave Saiso a curt nod and walked past him and into the next room, where he met the eyes of a rather tall, yet lanky, Brenchian. His garnet eyes sized up Bardock as he lowered himself into a chair abreast him, then he himself sat.

* * *

The tension was palpable, so thick that it could be cut with only the sharpest knife. Neither party made a move to speak for several moments, each trying to silently read the other by their facial exprssions—however, both kept a cool gaze about them to hide their inner emotions.

Finally, Bardock spoke first, his stoic features never changing. "So… why exactly did you spare me, anyway? Let's get that out of the way first." He knew that it couldn't have been out of the kindness of the alien's heart; nobody could've been that naïve or dim-witted. Only a fool would take an all-powerful stranger in without their own agenda.

Saizor chuckled slightly as he continued to stare down the Saiyan, who grunted in response. "You must know that you are quite powerful, warrior—even more so, in fact, than the entirety of my population. As such—"

"Isn't that a bit foolish to tell me that?" the Saiyan, though he made no visible movement of aggression, smirked chillingly. "I could end you all at any time, that means." 'This punk doesn't even know how to interrogate someone properly… what a waste of a species.'

Again, however, the Brenchian only laughed in the face of Bardock's implied threat. "You have power, my friend, but not intelligence. What's to gain of eliminating such a power like yours? Why not, rather, have you defend our planet from future threats? We can provide you with the basic necessities in order to keep you in fighting condition—we've already proven we can do that by keeping you alive for so long. In return, you shall defend us from other extraterrestrials."

Bardock scoffed at the idea, insulted that Saizor would even think he could goad the Saiyan into being their little fighting puppet. "You disgust me… you think I'd be a grunt for someone I can easily kill in battle? If you want my respect, you've got to earn it—and the only way you'll do that is by beating me in combat." As if he was prepared to back up his words, the Saiyan stood tall, cracking his knuckles and his neck loudly.

"Oh, but what could you do to leave? We don't exactly have an operational spaceship around here, and your ship is nowhere near fully functional any longer—it's a mess, quite truthfully. I'm amazed that you survived as long as you did to make it here." He never lost his calm composure, even as the Saiyan loomed over him with a predatory gaze. "The way I see it, you have no choice—you'll have to fend off attackers to our planet or die of starvation."

"Tch! Where I'm from, we don't exactly tolerate working for cowards," retorted Bardock, his steel gaze boring into the cool gaze of Saizor. "I'd rather die than reduce myself to a slave_._" 'Never again will I be an expendable bug beneath someone's foot… I'm going to call the shots now. I've been a slave to Frieza once, and I refuse to relive that experience with anyone ever again._'_

Saizor's response was not one either expected it to be.

"P-Please!" the Brenchian immediately sobbed out, tears beginning to moisten his blood-red eyes almost instantaneously. "W-We've been so lucky to fend off the Planet Trade as long as we have… but we can't do it much longer. Our finest warriors are running low; we can't endure—"

"W-What?!" Bardock gaped at the name of the organization; it was one he would never forget. So many memories came to mind at the mention of the organization—he could remember them all so vividly. "Did you say… the Planet Trade?" 'So, they still are at work expanding the empire… I guess I shouldn't be all that surprised, though.'

"Yes," came the reply of the lanky alien, "the Planet Trade Organization. Led by the infamous Frieza, they've been trying to conquer us and our neighboring planets for nearly a year now. We've had so many close calls with them—I feared that the next encounter may be our last." Saizor took a deep breath in order to try and calm himself, though he was still convulsing violently. "T-Then you came along, warrior. We felt your power; it was on par with what the Planet Trade has sent to exterminate us. We only won through numbers and strategy, but every time, without fail, the mercenaries would grow stronger and stronger—each one becoming increasingly harder and harder to defeat. I hoped that, with you, we could stand a chance. Please, I beg of you… can you help us?"

"Hold on a second," interjected Bardock, raising his palm, seemingly unfazed by Saizor's emotional display. "You said that mercenaries invaded and tried to conquer the planet, right? What happened to their ships?"

"We've always vaporized them," came the quick reply of Saizor, hoping to satiate the scarred warrior's knowledge enough to persuade him into helping him and his people. "We never wanted to risk the enemy's technology."

Hearing the news made the former soldier want to smash something; it meant that he was truly stranded on this planet for the time being. They must've done the same with my ship as well, he scowled menacingly.

"You're no use to me, then," stated Bardock quite bluntly.

"B-But, si-"

He was cut off by something _zinging _through the back of his mind, causing him to gape with horror. "N-No…" 'This fast? It can't be… not more of them…' "T-They've come once more… three of them, this time… one of them has a power beyond anything I've felt in my entire life!" Chills began to overtake his body, running from his skull down to the tips of his toes.

"Tch! I'm tired of your sudden mood swings, idiot! Why don't you just pick a damn personality and stick to it?!" Bardock shouted, preparing his massive blue aura around his slim figure. Summoning it also came with a gust of wind, which immediately overturned most of the furniture in the room—even the chair Saizor was reclining in tipped over and downward, resulting in him laying pathetically on the ground.

Turning to face the roof, the scarred Saiyan let out an ominous chuckle, his blood beginning to race excitedly with the thought of battle. 'It's about time I get some fresh blood on my hands… it's been far too long since I've killed for my own pleasure. No longer will it be as a status quo for Frieza—I'm doing it for me!'

With that, he crouched down, focusing all his energy into his core as he prepared to take off. 'I'll show everyone what it means to mess with a true Saiyan's wrath! Not just my own, but for all the survivors out there being forced to make it on their own! Everyone... I won't let you down!_'_

He then took off in a bullet of azure light, flying through the roof at breakneck speeds as he prepared to confront the invaders of Planet Brench.

* * *

"Frieza wanted us to conquer _this _dump?" asked a rather gargantuan figure, lowering his index and middle fingers back down to his side in a fist. "How disappointing… and here I thought we'd be getting _some _form of a challenge." As if to mock the very planet itself, he spat on the soil in a derogatory fashion, chuckling as he did so.

"Couldn't have said it better myself, Nappa," came the reply of a long-haired, lanky figure, who scowled at the desolated wasteland that was once known as a city. "These peons don't even deserve to be conquered—they're like ants against a dinosaur." The thought brought a smirk to his mind—he was on top here, save for his two comrades. The feeling was quite liberating, intoxicating… he wanted to experience it more; he wanted to feel the thrill of being the apex predator.

"Tch!" scoffed the third of the trio, his flame-like hair defying gravity as it blew slightly in the winds. Though quite short, it appeared that this figure had a sense of regality to him. "Clearly, you bumbling imbeciles are forgetting the most vital information about these worms." His tone was harsh, gruff, almost as if he were a parent scolding a young child. "Somehow, despite their feeble power, they've been able to dispatch of every single force that Frieza's sent here. They must have some secret weapon up their sleeve; you'd do best to be on your guard, the both of you." He closed his eyes and smirked, chuckling lowly to himself. "…but of course, that weapon would be nothing against me, Prince Vegeta of the Saiyan race."

Suddenly, the prince was interrupted by his red eyepiece – known as a scouter – began beeping wildly, its golden arrow focusing on something to his left. Raising his forefinger, he clicked the red button on the side of the contraption to cease its blaring, though the golden arrow still remained, showing him a power of four-thousand—quite impressive, Vegeta had to admit, for someone on this low-level of a planet.

"And it appears that they're bringing out this weapon quite early," smirked the long-haired soldier. "A smart move on their part, but ultimately one that will prove futile against our combined might."

"Hah! Raditz, why don't you just shut your mouth and keep quiet?" sneered the giant figure, who gave his comrade a firm push on the shoulder-guard, forcing Raditz to stumble backwards and let out a trembling gasp. "First of all, according to these readings, you'd stand no chance against a power like this—you only have a measly little level of one thousand. Second of all, if you had _any _pride in your warrior race, you'd know that we don't fight _together_. We fight fairly; one on one, with no restraints."

"And that'll get you killed one day…" Raditz lowly murmured back; Nappa pretended not to hear it, however, instead turning his interest to the figure rapidly approaching. By his estimates, he would appear momentarily—

FWOOM! In a large display of power, a lone warrior dropped from the sky and landed on one knee, his massive blue aura covering him like a cloak would a young child. The azure coloration of energy surrounding him shook the ground of Planet Brench, sending small shockwaves throughout the ground. The rocky soil was disturbed slightly by the figure's sudden arrival, as shown when cracks began to form in the planet's navy-blue colored crust.

But what was stunning to the Saiyans – or, rather, one Saiyan in particular – was the striking resemblance this man shared with—

"F-Father?!" Raditz gasped, absolutely stunned by the man he'd once thought dead appearing before his very eyes.

* * *

_And that's a wrap! As promised, we've jumped straight into the content of this story with Bardock meeting the surviving Saiyans - Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta. In the original version of this story(what previous readers would know as _Dark Reality_), I was planning to have the lone renegade get his own task force and go around space for a few chapters before they ran into the Saiyans, but I decided that it would only serve to make Bardock extremely powerful, and also introduce some unnecessary original characters that really would've detracted from what I was going for here. _

_As you most likely noticed, we are in Age 759. This is approximately two years before Raditz's arrival in canon, and therefore, the brothers have had absolutely no contact. Son Gohan is aged two right now(for reference, he was four when Raditz came and attempted to abduct him)._

_Also, I am well aware that Raditz has a power level of 1,200 in the canonical series... or, rather, during his battle on Earth. Since this is two years before that, I figured I should decrease the Saiyans' power levels slightly in order to show their improvement over the course of two years. _

_In fact, f__or reference:_

_Bardock(suppressed): 4,000  
Raditz: 1,000  
Nappa: ?  
Vegeta: ?_

_That's about all I have to say; I sincerely hope you enjoyed this edition of _Shimmering Crystals _and will be sure to tune in for the third installment!_

**_Father and son have reunited once more, and in the most unexpected of ways. With both assuming the other dead, how will they react to finding out their respective family has survived? And what of Vegeta and Nappa? How will their presence affect the situation at hand? Find out next time on _Shimmering Crystals!**


	3. Chapter III: Not the Man I Was

**Saiyan Saga – Part 2: Not the Man I Was**

As he flew through the magma-red skies of Brench, Bardock heavily wished he'd had a scouter on him. Though he so loathed to admit it, without the eyepiece created by the Planet Trade, he was effectively blind in combat. He wasn't able to seek out high power levels; in turn, he wouldn't know where to target first. Without the green-tinted lens atop his left eye, the Saiyan didn't trust his abilities to find and locate his enemies. All he had was the direction of the winds, which blew furiously in the wind after the sudden explosion—he had to track his opponents down while he still could.

'Perhaps it's for the better,' thought the bandana-wearing Saiyan as he increased his speed to arrive faster—he wanted to have the element of surprise on his side; he figured he would need it if Saizor's claims were true. 'No true warrior should have to rely on an eyepiece, spoke of Saiyan pride, of fighting all battles together and with full trust in one another, but in the end, they were all cowards… they refused to believe in me, refused to even consider the possibility of Frieza turning traitor on us… it serves them right that they died; they didn't truly honor their heritage.'

But this was not the time to worry about the past… now was the time for combat, for battle. Rolling his hands into fists, the spiky-haired Saiyan began to psych himself up for battle, firmly tying his bandana and cracking his knuckles loudly.

It was, at last, time to battle once again—he would finally truly begin his rebellion against the Planet Trade Organization. Would he prevail? He didn't know, but he wasn't counting on it. Frieza's power was truly unimaginable—that wasn't going to stop him from trying, however. All of the dead Saiyans were counting on him; he couldn't just ignore the cries he heard before escaping Vegeta's destruction. They were cries of fear, hopelessness, despair… they all burned within him, fueling his desire even further. He had to do this; there was simply no other course of action to take.

Inhaling the oxygen of Planet Brench deeply, three outlines came into view, though the Saiyan was too far away from the battlefield to even begin to decipher them. _ '_As long as there's breath in my body, I'll fight them all. This one's for you, Tora… I may have failed to save you before, but your name will never be forgotten…'

ZZZZING!

Bardock immediately came skidding to a halt, feeling a tingling sensation within the back of his skull. A moment later, he could feel three presences in his mind, each one more powerful than the last. They all took shape in his mind for no more than an instant; they then suddenly faded away as if they were never there to begin with. Almost like a candle, they'd flickered out, becoming nothing more than a memory.

'W-What was that…?' the scarred warrior asked himself, one hand subconsciously going to his spiky hair to rub his scalp—the feeling had, all of a sudden, vanished, leaving behind no trace of its presence. 'Almost like… a burn—it was so real, but then it just… stopped. But what was that feeling…?'

He wouldn't have time to further ponder on the situation, however, as the figures began to grow closer and closer. Silently, the former squad leader cursed under his breath, furious he'd allowed his enemies time to detect him. He'd no doubt that they possessed scouters; in fact, he was certain of it.

'Guess that means the only thing to do is to fight, then.' Bardock allowed himself a grin as his hair flipped violently in the wind, that all too familiar feeling of Saiyan adrenaline beginning to fester itself within his lower gut. 'And I know how to do that well.'

Immediately, the Saiyan shot off towards the ground in a maelstrom of a bluish aura, just as prepared for battle as he'd ever been.

* * *

FWOOM! In a large display of power, a lone warrior dropped from the sky and landed on one knee, his massive blue aura covering him like a cloak would a young child, surrounding him in azure energy that shook the ground of Planet Brench. The rocky soil was disturbed slightly by the figure's sudden arrival, as shown when cracks began to form in the planet's navy-blue colored crust.

Immediately as he began to stand, his eyes locked with a rather large figure; Bardock could easily decipher who it was with little trouble. 'So, the Saiyan general Nappa… I'm not surprised that Frieza decided to keep him around. Of course, that means…'

Quickly, he cut his gaze from Nappa and focused it on the shortest of the triptych, scowling as soon as he made out the features of the man's father within him. 'So, this is the fully grown Prince Vegeta… molded and shaped by Frieza's hand. He certainly looks powerful—he won't be an easy opponent to defeat, that's for sure.'

And lastly, as he turned his eyes toward the final Saiyan of the trio, his jaw nearly dropped at the sight; he couldn't believe it. 'R-Raditz?! Ho-How did he even survive a _minute_ in Frieza's capitivity? As a matter of fact, why the hell would Frieza even _want_ such a weakling in his ranks?!'

* * *

"F-Father?!" Raditz gasped, absolutely stunned by the man he'd once thought dead appearing before his very eyes. How was it possible?! Everyone had told him that his father had died in the explosion—he'd thought that to be true, but now, here his father stood, defying all the rumors and statements about his death. "Ho-How did you-"

"Well, well, it appears that the rumors about you were true, Bardock." Nappa chuckled lowly as he cracked his neck, preparing himself for battle. He ignored the fact that he cut Raditz off, who didn't seem to mind all that much—he was still in utter disbelief. "You really do know your way around the battlefield, don't you? Let's see if you can still pull off your moves after I break every single bone in your body…" He immediately began a menacing walk forward; as he did so, Bardock immediately drew into his fighting stance, ready for combat.

"Ah, so this is Bardock…"

The gruff, baritone voice of Prince Vegeta immediately halted Nappa in his tracks and caused Bardock to avert his gaze toward the flame-haired Saiyan, who could only smirk. "What Nappa said is indeed true—you have a reputation for exceeding the power limit of a low-class warrior. Had Frieza not destroyed our home planet, you could've been crowned an elite warrior within a year's time."

"I doubt it, Prince Vegeta," interjected Nappa, pointing a rather large index finger towards the low-class's armor—it was still as broken and battered as the day he'd escaped Planet Vegeta, a reminder of the hardships Bardock had to face that day. "Look at those rags—he'd never be able to show himself around an elite class of Saiyan warriors."

"Spare me the accolades," retorted Bardock, raising his fist towards the prince with a scowl plastered across his face, ignoring the brute's derogatory remark. "I don't care about what happened—I care about what _is _happening, and what _will _happen after that."

Raditz, having regained his composure, barked out "Can it, old man!" The sudden reemergence of the long-haired Saiyan's bravado caused everyone to turn their heads—even Vegeta, who was normally so calm and sinister, couldn't hide the look of surprise on his face when he saw Raditz call out to his father. "…Where were you all this time, Father? Have you no Saiyan pride to just walk out on us?"

As Nappa was about to interject and taunt Raditz with another put-down, Vegeta gave the bald-headed Saiyan a sudden glare that immediately got the taller of the duo to pipe down. Interested in Raditz's sudden bravery, the prince began to watch the father-son showdown. 'Who would've thought that weakling Raditz would ever confront someone so boldly – even if it is his own father?'

"Do you really think that I would run out on my people, Raditz?" The thought actually repulsed him, frightened him—he wouldn't be able to consider himself a true Saiyan any longer if he abandoned his race in such a dire situation. "I did what I had to do to survive—all that matters is that I'm here now, got it?" While saying this, he drew out of his fighting stance, almost as if he didn't have intentions of fighting the trio.

"The records show that you were on Planet Vegeta at the time of its destruction," came the retort of Nappa, who placed his hands on his hips, "the only way you could've survived is if you fled the planet moments before it was destroyed."

"Heh, are you really in a position to be talking about cowardly escapes?" sneered Bardock. "You three have disgraced the Saiyan way more than anyone by loyally serving Frieza; don't start whining to me because I fled to save my life."

"You're guilty of the same thing, Bardock!" Raditz hissed out, apparently no longer having enough respect for the man before him to call him father. "You stared death in the face, and you ran for your life! You've broken the Saiyan code of honor as well!"

"Well, maybe that damn code is what got us all killed!" Bardock shouted back, his voice reverberating around the artificially-created wasteland. Internally, however, his thoughts were nowhere near the same as the words coming out of his mouth. 'W-What's going on with me? Am I prioritizing Frieza's defeat before the honor of the Saiyans? But… if I don't defeat that damn lizard with honor and integrity, isn't his death meaningless?'

Suddenly, a slow clap filled the thick atmosphere as the prince kept that sinister smirk on his face. "Well said, Bardock—just like a true low-class scumbug would say."

"Better than being a mindless elite," fired back Bardock. "I'd rather have my own freedom of speech rather than having to kiss a royal's backside every five seconds."

"_That's it!" _Nappa thundered, the veins on his large forehead beginning to pulsate violently. "You're not going to mock us anymore, low-class! I'll break you where you stand!"

"**No!"**

Raditz, summoning up his courage, shoved Nappa to the side and stood abreast Bardock, drawing into his fighting stance. "This is _my _fight, you hear me?! If either of you interfere, I'll make you pay!"

'That idiot—is he trying to get himself killed?' Bardock asked himself, subconsciously sliding into his own patented fighting stance. "Raditz, you have five seconds to stand down. If you don't get the hell out of my way, I will show you no mercy!"

"Go ahead, old man; try it." Raditz's furious glare never once faltered as he sized up his father, preparing to unleash everything in his arsenal. "I _dare _you to."

"Five," started the scarred Saiyan, ignoring his son's last taunt. 'Raditz can't possibly hope to beat me… but why is he so confident?'

* * *

Raditz stood, his knees beginning to tremble as he heard his father utter the number five. Though he wouldn't – and couldn't – express it, Raditz was scared of the challenge ahead. He knew his father surpassed him in every way—power, speed, skill, agility; he could never hope to defeat him in battle.

But he had to try.

He had to try, for he knew that his comrades wouldn't accept cowardice. He had to try, for he knew his father wouldn't tolerate him standing down. It was simply what he had to do, not just for his Saiyan brethren, but for himself.

"Four."

Raditz felt a chill run through his body, all the way from the top of his head to each of his toes, feeling a wave of shock pass through his system. Though he tried hard not to show it, he felt fear – true, undeniable fear – because he knew he fared no chance.

Though every part of his body screamed for him to just stand aside, there was something, _something _within him that fought back just as hard, telling him to stay rooted to the ground and for him to take on his father.

"Three."

The feeling of dread that had resided within the soldier's stomach began to fade; in place of it settled a feeling of excitement—the Saiyan blood within him was eager to fight, even if he knew he couldn't win. After coming this far, he couldn't back down now.

'Father… you would never respect me if I were to move away now; you would just go back to calling me weakling Raditz. Well, no more… that all ends today, Bardock, when I show you just how powerful I really am!'

"Two."

Raditz grinned wildly, drawing into his fighting stance. His fear had suddenly vanished, gone as if it were an illusion. In his place stood a new man—one who relished the opportunity in front of him. More than anything, he wanted to prove to his father that he was a weakling no longer, but a hardened warrior, just as he was. "Let's do this!"

"One."

* * *

Bardock, though he kept it well-hidden behind a facial mask, was absolutely shell-shocked at Raditz's determination. He'd stood in his way for a count of five, refusing to budge an inch. No matter what he'd said in the past, he couldn't deny that Raditz had shown true Saiyan pride.

But this wasn't over. No, Bardock still had to honor his end of the deal; he had to attack his son, or lose his word as a warrior.

And Bardock refused to lose that today.

"You leave me no choice," he muttered silently, before kicking off his feet and dashing towards his son with his fist drawn back. 'Raditz… you brought this upon yourself, my son.'

Raditz quickly drew into a defensive stance to block the attack, though his father's fist easily broke through his guard and sent him tumbling back a few feet before he landed on his knees; Bardock quickly rushed forward and tried to connect with a heel kick to the jaw, though the long-haired Saiyan somehow found it within to duck, letting his father's leg pass over his head. Quickly grabbing it, he used it to trip his father on his face, sending him into the dirt while giving himself a moment to stand.

From there, Raditz began his assault; he connected with a firm kick to the abdomen before wailing on his father's skull with a flurry of right-handed blows, trying his best to not allow his opponent any breathing room. He then quickly followed that barrage up by grasping his father's hair and throwing him into the sky, where he chased after him.

Bardock, having the superior strength of the two, didn't find it difficult to halt his involuntary flight in mid-air; what he did find difficult to do was believe that his son was capable of truly fighting for his life. In a way, it gave him both pride and disappointment.

'It should've been you,' hissed his subconscious, 'you should've been the one to teach him how to fight. Look at him, Bardock; look at the way he's fighting you. He's using the skills Vegeta and Nappa taught him. Doesn't that hurt you? You had no hand in your son becoming the warrior he is today.'

"SHUT UP!" the scarred Saiyan shouted aloud, diving back down to engage Raditz in battle once more, dodging a forearm to the temple and retaliating with his own knee to the solar plexus. The long-haired Saiyan was forced to double over from the pain, but that didn't stop him from bringing up his own knee to strike his father in the same spot.

However, as he would soon learn with horror written all over his features when he looked up at his father, it hadn't fazed Bardock in the slightest.

"I warned you, Raditz," the scarred Saiyan scowled, shaking his head. "I warned you that I would do this. And now… when you writhe in agony on the floor… you can only say that you brought this upon yourself." He quickly sent Raditz plummeting to the ground with a double axe handle before teleporting to the ground, intercepting the long-haired Saiyan's fall and kicking him across the field of battle like a football, sending him into the dirt where he lay helplessly.

But Bardock wasn't done. No, he had to show his son that he meant business—nobody defied his orders and got away with it, not even his own family. "Get up, you coward! Fight me!"

Raditz got on all fours, trembling as he attempted to get to his feet—suddenly, his strength gave way on him, and he fell to the ground on his stomach, groaning in pain. "D-Damn you… B-Bardo-"

The low-class warrior would have none of that; he teleported over to his son and grabbed him by the hair, drawing back his fist—

THAACK! With one brutal blow, Raditz's nose was shattered cleanly; a second blow sent his vision spinning, and a third blow sent him back onto the ground, bruised, bloody, and broken. He tried to muster up the strength to even move a finger, though his body simply refused to comply with his actions—all he could do was stare into the onyx eyes of his attacker, whose eyes showed not even the slightest hint of care. It was just like his childhood again… only that it wasn't on his homeworld.

"N-No la-last harsh remarks, F-Fath-"Suddenly, a torrent of blood flooded his lungs, forcing him to retch up a puddle of the misty substance before he could finish his question.

His father towered over him with a disappointed frown, which the long-haired warrior expected—he hadn't even managed to wound his father in their brief skirmish; he had no reason to feel sorrow for him. "What's there to say, Raditz? You disobeyed my orders, and now you've paid the price for it." Turning around, he began to walk forward to face the remaining two Saiyans. He didn't even glance back at his son, who was still in a world of pain.

'He knew what he was getting into; he has no one to blame but himself,' thought Bardock as he continued on his path with a scowl plastered across his face. 'It's a shame that the one time he grew a pair was the one time he stood no chance in hell.'

Suddenly, he then stopped in front of Nappa and Vegeta, his cold eyes boring into their own. Neither made even the smallest movement for seven long moments, before the gargantuan figure spoke up, his baritone voice resounding around the battlefield.

"Congratulations; you've single-handedly taken down the weakest of us," said Nappa with a sadistic, bloodthirsty grin. "I hate to tell you, though: Vegeta and I far outclass even double his strength… and your pitiful power is only a mere four thousand. What can _you _do against the likes of us?"

Bardock laid a hand on his head in a mocking fashion, closing his eyes as he chuckled to himself. 'What a fool; clearly, his brain size doesn't match his massive build.'

"W-What's so funny?!" Nappa hissed, furious that this low-level scum didn't even have the decency to answer his question. "Answer me!"

"Did I look like I was even _remotely _trying during that fight? If you'd watched carefully… rgh…" Bardock clenched his fists, summoning his azure aura with a growl, "you'd realize that I'm just getting started! Hyaaah!"

Suddenly, his aura doubled in width and height, creating a brand new crater below his feet as it did so. His muscles began to expand ever so slightly, his yells growing ever louder as his power began to build up inside of him. Small pebbles of rock began to rise into the air due to the force of his overwhelming strength; tremors began to shake the ground at his might while the winds began to howl ferociously.

And then, suddenly… his aura dissipated, the pebbles fell to the ground, and the winds ceased to exist. Time seemed to stand still as, taking in the sight of Bardock at his full power. A pale blue hue outlined his body as he raised his arms, ready to fight. "Now, this… _this _is what I'm capable of, my fellow Saiyans."

Without even receiving the order, Nappa tapped the red button on his scouter, numbers beginning to flash across his blue-tinted eye. 'He can't be THAT much stronger than before… I'll prove it right now!'

BEEP! The scouter suddenly stopped with one final blare, the golden arrow pointing towards the final number it had gathered from Bardock's life force. He paused, stunned.

"SEVEN POINT FIVE THOUSAND?!" he shouted, in utter disbelief that the low-class before him had been able to usurp him in power. 'H-How is this… possible…?'

Vegeta, however, didn't demonstrate that same sense of fear that Nappa had. "You certainly do live up to your reputation as a powerful warrior—though I regret to inform you that a power like that is insignificant when compared to my own... _fifteen_ thousand."

Bardock recoiled, both in shock and horror. 'H-How is this…? I'm sure that my power was much higher; the records had me at ten thousand before… so why did it drop all of a sudden?' Subconsciously, though, he knew why—he'd just been too foolish to see it. 'I've been out for so long—it's no surprise that my power didn't suffer from not training. And Vegeta's power _still _eclipses that… heh, I've really dug my own grave here, haven't I?' He knew he didn't stand a chance against the prince, though he wasn't about to give in—that would only be the coward's way out.

Regaining his composure, the spiky-haired warrior crouched into his fighting stance. "You may be more powerful than I am, but I'll never give in, you understand?" His cold glare was intimidating—of course, not intimidating _enough _to faze Vegeta, who merely smirked and dropped his arms to his side.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, Bardock," the prince replied sinisterly.

"**No!"**

Raditz, though he'd been beaten beyond belief, somehow gathered his strength, standing fully tall – though on buckling legs – and raising his convulsing arms, drawing back into his fighting stance. "I… c-can't give up… no-not to you…" he hissed, nearly tripping on his own feet as he forced himself to move sluggishly towards his father. "N-Not now…"

"Face it, Raditz, you lost!" Bardock growled back, looking over his shoulder to see his son trying to make his way over to him. 'Can't that idiot take a damn hint?'

"N-No..." repeated Raditz shakily, somehow trying to find the strength within to keep fighting. Instead, all that he would find is pain... searing, burning pain that was slowly consuming him.

"Don't push yourself… or _I'll _have to end you before your own body gives out."

"Bett-better I d-die…" came the whispered reply of Raditz, "…in bat-battle, rather than b-bleeding out on the grou-ground…" As he said this, he felt his ribs crack from the added pressure of talking, though he still refused to give in. He'd made the defiant move of standing in his father's way, and – for better or worse – he was going to face the consequences of doing so.

Though the Saiyan within him was proud of his son's behavior, the realist – the one who had realized that resistance was futile against Frieza – inwardly scowled upon hearing the pride-blinded words of Raditz. "You idiot! Just stay down and let me fight; you're not going to magically recover by pushing yourself!"

"Yo-you've mocked me… belittled me…" hissed Raditz, pausing in his tracks to hurl up another puddle of blood; doing so made him lose his balance for a slight moment. Summoning up all his willpower, he soon regained it and continued on his path, stumbling with every step he took. "I-I'll be damned i-if I d-don't take rev-revenge... on the co-coward who c-calls hi-himself a Saiyan…"

That did it.

Bardock, losing all restraints, lunged forward and buried his fist into Raditz's torso, piercing straight through his son's armor and striking against solid muscle. The blow forced the long-haired Saiyan to double over and spew up a third spray of blood on his father's shoulder—Bardock paid it no heed, however, and grabbed his son in a firm headlock. A moment later, he twisted his son's neck until he heard a sickening **CRACK **resound through the atmosphere, dropping his son to the floor as he heard it.

A moment later, Bardock regained his full consciousness, his eyes widening as he realized just exactly what he had done only moments prior.

He had killed his son in cold blood.

* * *

_Greetings, everyone, and thanks so much for reading Chapter 3 of _Shimmering Crystals_! This was one of my favorite chapters to write, due to both the action and the surprise plot twist at the end. _

_Now, before you get any crazy ideas of me disliking Raditz, I am a **huge **fan of the character. In fact, in addition to him being one of my all-time favorite DBZ characters, he's even the fourth protagonist in _Sins of the Father. _In fact, I really wanted to keep him alive for the duration of this story... but he couldn't. This is meant to be an extremely dark and morbid fic that has a very strong focus on Bardock's characterization. _

_The key factor in my ultimate decision about Raditz's fate primarily resides in all these other Bardock fics: they have him survive and ultimately redeem himself. Well, honestly, I can't see that happening solely because of Bardock himself. He wouldn't want to save such a weakling, even if it was his own son. Plus, having the long-haired low-class redeem himself in addition to Bardock would simply be pretty repetitive and unoriginal__._

_Bardock(full power): 7,500  
Raditz: 1,000  
Nappa: 4,000  
Vegeta: 16,000_

_Lastly, we need to discuss the power levels. Raditz, Nappa, and Vegeta are all weaker than their canonical power levels due to this being set two years before Raditz's arrival; I figured that they would make some improvements before then, so I simply cut them down a bit._

_Bardock's power level is explained in the chapter, but basically, not training for so long has truly hindered him. I just simply decreased his power by 25% to get his current level. He certainly got a Zenkai, but I figure that only helped to boost him back up to 7,500. I promised you all that Bardock wouldn't be overpowered by the Saiyan Saga, and this is my way of doing so while still sticking to the laws of canon(I used Gohan not training after the Cell Games as my canon example)._

_Also, sorry for not updating my Q&A forum for this story. That's been rectified with the uploading of this chapter! If you're not familiar with my way of answering reviews, I have a forum called "Super Vegetarott's Q&A" on FFN that I use to answer reviews._

_**In addition to the emotional turmoil running around in Bardock's conscious, he now has to contend with Nappa and Vegeta. Will the low-class be able to overcome the odds and continue his mission of achieving vengeance against Frieza? Find out on the next **_**Shimmering Crystals_!_**


	4. Chapter IV: Evolution

**Saiyan Saga– Part 3: Evolution**

Time seemed to freeze in this exact moment; everything was suddenly motionless and silent. Even the other two Saiyans there, usually so calm and composed, were absolutely astounded by his actions. Bardock, his eyes widened, could do absolutely nothing but stare into the lifeless irises of his fresh kill.

And the deceased being lying below his feet just happened to be his son.

He didn't know what to do, nor did he know what to say. His body was paralyzed with both shock and disbelief, his hands convulsing wildly as he realized that he'd just killed his own flesh and blood, the Saiyan warrior he'd sired.

'…in the end, this is what you've become, Raditz.' Bardock somehow mustered up the strength to scowl at the sight of his son's corpse, though it was impossible to see what lay beyond that fierce expression. Was it sadness? Was it anger? In truth, not even he knew the answer to that question… he could only feel an empty void where his emotions should've been. '…nothing more than a weakling.'

As the words echoed through his mind, floated around his conscience, he wondered if they were true. Had Raditz's last act been one of courage, or was it simply stupidity? He himself hadn't the courage to face Frieza, a tyrant that could've crushed him like a mere bug—

In that moment, he understood completely. Raditz's final act… it hadn't been one of brash idiocy. It was one of courage, of honor… something that he himself was destined to do—had it not been for that one fortunate vision he had received, it would have become reality.

Raditz's last words to him, that he wasn't a true Saiyan, were accurate. He had indeed failed the Saiyan code, but that was inconsequential—what mattered was that his son had just died and joined the rest of his people, wherever they had ended up. He had hoped that his survival would ultimately allow him to assist his fellow Saiyans against Frieza's cruel hand, but he himself had proven to only worsen the Saiyans' fate… he himself was responsible for slaying one of his own kind.

Today had shattered the false illusion of victory for Bardock—there was simply no way the Saiyans could win a battle with Frieza if they themselves were having a civil war. They were supposed to be a united force, but now all ties between him and the Saiyans before him were utterly crushed.

"Perhaps you _aren't _a disgrace, Bardock," conceded Vegeta, his signature smirk actually faltering for a split-second. Admittedly, the prince was astounded that the low-class had it in him to kill his own child—not even he would do such a thing. "You've already proven your abilities as a warrior by outclassing Raditz, but having it in you to actually _kill _him… I doubt even _I _would put him out of his misery in such a fashion."

Returning to reality, Bardock focused on the here and now—if he didn't, his life could be snuffed out just as easily as Raditz's had been. "Don't play me for a fool, Vegeta. You probably only kept him alive so that you'd have a meat shield to save your own hide."

Bardock's retort actually caused Vegeta to flinch visibly, almost as if he were stunned by his fellow Saiyan's words. "…How dare you think I, the great Vegeta, would ever resort to such a cowardly tactic? I am the mightiest Saiyan to ever live—I've never run from combat; I've slaughtered any and all in my path! And if you don't shut your mouth right now, you'll be the next name I add to my list!"

Unfazed by his prince's words, the scarred Saiyan continued. "If you're implying you want me to join you in working for Frieza, you must be delusional. I'll never go back to what I was—I can't kill in his name again, not when I know that lizard is responsible for the death of our people!"

Vegeta shot a firm glance to Nappa, who immediately understood—this wasn't the brute's fight; it had become personal for the prince. He would see to it that Bardock would suffer a slow, agonizing death before he was finally allowed into the next dimension.

"Don't you see, idiots?" shouted the spiky-haired warrior, pressing onwards. "You're nothing more but mindless bugs which Frieza can crush whenever he damn well pleases! Wake up from this fantasy world you live in and experience the truth!"

"Wake up?!" Nappa shouted, enraged by the low-class's words. He hadn't even begun to scratch the surface of the truth… "_Wake up?! _ You're a fool, Bardock! You haven't even _begun_ to understand just what kind of galaxy we live in!"

"You're right that I don't know what the galaxy is like today," conceded the bandana-wearing Saiyan solemnly as he drew into his fighting stance, "but I know that this isn't what it _should _be. And if attaining that world means having to go through you both… then so be it." Immediately, he clenched his fists, signaling that he was ready for battle.

"You're all talk, prancing on and on about the horrors and wrongs in all the cosmos… what've _you _done to make _you_ so perfect? What gives _you _the right to talk down to _me, your_ prince?! It's time you learned _your_ place underneath _my_ boot, you low-class trash!" howled Vegeta, immediately kicking off the ground as he dashed towards the spiky-haired Saiyan.

THUUM! Their fists collided with a deafening sonic boom, sending waves of energy through the air for miles. Both the prince and the low-class scowled at each other as they began a power struggle, their eyes piercing into each other's souls. Each stood for different things—one for unity, and one for superiority. Neither would relent to one another.

Bardock threw his fist forward and quickly caught the prince's exposed cheek with his other hand, forcing the prince's head to turn to the side as he was sent spinning away into the high atmosphere; the low-class immediately dashed upwards in pursuit of Vegeta with a high-speed uppercut, though the flame-haired warrior was able to regain his balance and disorient the spiky-haired Saiyan with a right hook of his own, sending him floating back as he tended to his wounded jaw.

'D-Damn,' thought the scarred Saiyan as he rubbed his cheek, 'he really wasn't kidding about his power—it's unbelievable… but…' he ignited his aura, trying to find a second wind after that brutal shot to the jaw. 'I can't give up now and prove this bastard right!'

"HYAAH!" shouted Bardock as he dove back into battle, throwing forward a devastating left hook which Vegeta caught easily, smirking all the while; however, the low-class then threw his right hand forward and knocked the wind out of him with a furious punch to the abdomen, following it up with an elbow strike to the jaw. He would then leap back and fire a blast of a blue hue to send Vegeta tumbling back through the air, the blast catching him off-guard—he'd been expecting the elder Saiyan to have attempted another strike, but it appeared he really was a true fighter… he wasn't a fool in the slightest.

Grinning as he realized this, the flame-haired warrior drew his hand upwards and gathered a small amount of energy in his hand. 'Bardock is a seasoned warrior; there's no doubt. Despite his inferior strength, this could be interesting…'

"_Nice try!"_ immediately hissed Vegeta, throwing his hand upwards, and subsequently, the blast changed its course, rocketing up into space where it immediately dissipated. "A low-class like you could never-"

CRRACCK! Just as the prince was finishing his sentence, Bardock dashed forward and interrupted him with a vicious headbutt to the cranium, sending him flying backwards until he crashed into a mountain of rock, which then immediately began to falter; a cascade of natural rock began to tumble down on the prince until he was no longer visible to the scarred Saiyan's eye.

But Bardock was no fool—Vegeta was simply caught off-guard by that last attack, far from injured in the slightest. He would have to make his move quickly before the opportunity was lost to him.

"PUT UP OR SHUT UP, CLOWN!" Bardock shouted, a faint orb of azure energy beginning to form in his hand as he did so. Then, suddenly, it doubled in size; he immediately threw it to the ground and watched as it detonated against the remains of the wasteland, though he didn't stop quite there. He then began to rain identical spheres down onto his opponent, watching as each blast created more and more of a smoke-screen—

'Wait,' thought Bardock nervously, 'if he's shielded from view, that means he could—'

At that moment, he felt a vicious elbow being driven into his spine—Vegeta had silently snuck around him, unnoticed, and connected with a brutal blow that sent Bardock plummeting down into the devastation he himself had created.

BRRGGH! He landed face-first on the rocky ground, his body wracking and shuddering with pain. The power difference between him and his opponent was significant, too much so for the low-class to put up a fight.

'I… urgh…' He could see Vegeta dash down towards him with a maniacal grin on his face, ready to deliver the killing blow—in his eyes was the same look he himself would give to his opponents before he mercilessly ended their lives.

At the last second, Bardock found his second wind; somehow, someway, he was able to roll away from Vegeta's path and just narrowly avoid the prince's extended knees, which drove into the ground and created a small crater. Though the prince felt somewhat of a stinging pain in his legs as a result of the collision, he didn't allow it to deter him from his goal—Bardock simply _had _to die, plain and simple.

But the elder of the two wasn't about to go down without a fight. He found the strength within to stand up, immediately running forward and kicking off the ground, his stomach just barely touching the ground as a result of his extremely low altitude. Immediately thrusting his arms forward, the seasoned warrior caught the prince in the abdomen with a brutal tackle and sent him through the ground, forming another crater within the broken world known as Brench. A cloud of dust immediately began to cast over the two, blinding them from view.

The tension was palpable, so thick it could be cut with a knife. Asphalt and debris temporarily blinded both combatants from view, though they didn't allow it to stop their battle… there was simply too much bad blood towards their respective foe in order to stop fighting.

Inside the dust storm, Bardock quickly propped himself up to one knee, but Vegeta - being the faster and stronger of the two – had already recovered. He was forced to quickly dodge a gloved fist by falling to his right before having to throw himself to the ground to avoid a brutal kick. Using his positioning to his advantage, the experienced warrior threw his right leg out and swept the flame-haired Saiyan off his feet, immediately sending the prince to land face-first in the dust.

Somehow quickly regaining his footing, Bardock then capitalized on his situation by gripping his foe by the arm and hurling him into the sky with a loud growl. He watched as Vegeta was sent tumbling upwards into the atmosphere like a helpless child—

–in that moment, a pang of sympathy flooded through the spiky-haired Saiyan. Averting his gaze from the battle, Bardock shot a glance to his son's corpse – he couldn't help but doing so. Something in his heart, his soul, told him to do so, almost as if his son were still watching him from the depths of hell.

In that moment, strength like he never knew he had filled him, empowering him. His blue aura flickered to life, igniting with fierce, untapped power. He clenched his fists, feeling blood seep down his palms—the blood of a low-class warrior. 'It's time for Vegeta to suffer… and he'll suffer by knowing he died to the lowest of the low.'

Bardock kicked off the ground and dashed after his opponent with a loud shout, his eyes shining with rage and his fists trembling with anger. He was angry—angry at the loss of his son, angry because of the pain and agony his people had to suffer under Frieza's hand… but most of all, angry that the powers that be had pit the Saiyans against each other.

Despite all this anger, however, he simply couldn't curb his desire to end the prince's life. The blood-covered face of his son continuously flashed into his mind, reminding him of the twisted soldier Raditz had become under Frieza's hand.

Vegeta, the Prince of all Saiyans, had become no different.

Filling himself with all the power he could muster, Bardock doubled his speed and caught the arcing Vegeta with a headbutt to the solar plexus, nearly cracking the prince's chestplate with its intensity. He would quickly follow up the brutal attack by driving his fist upwards and nailing Vegeta with an uppercut before placing his palm forwards and firing a quickly charged ki sphere that slammed full-force into the flame-haired Saiyan's exposed abdomen before smoke blinded his figure from view.

Ever the warrior, Bardock didn't allow the smoke to deter him from his ultimate goal. Suddenly dashing into the cloud of smoke, the spiky-haired hero blindly struck out with his left fist and grinned when he felt contact with his opponent.

However, as the smoke cleared, Vegeta could only grin sadistically—he'd caught Bardock's fist with his own gloved hand, deluding the lower-class into thinking he'd actually emerged victorious in that little skirmish.

"Powerful," admitted Vegeta as he dropped his fellow Saiyan's hand, momentarily surprising him.

THUUUM! The prince immediately threw his left leg forward and buried it into Bardock's abdomen with a slow, menacing laugh. He watched with only the most malevolent of grins as the weaker of the two was forced into pitching forward and hurling up a spray of blood.

"But not powerful enough."

Phasing above his opponent, the prince conjoined his hands and swung downwards, making a firm impact against the scarred Saiyan's skull as he was sent plunging into the ground with a shout of defiance.

Vegeta separated his fists and allowed them to hang at his sides loosely as he watched his opponent collide harshly with the ground, causing yet another dust cloud to rise into the air. Though he wouldn't care to admit it, in his own way, Bardock _had _provided him with a challenge – the challenge of defending his pride. He hadn't had such an experience since his childhood when he would continuously wage battle against the king's finest guards.

'But, just like they had, Bardock has fallen,' thought the prince, feeling nothing but contempt for his fellow Saiyans. 'What an imbecile—challenging a royal to battle and expecting victory? Only a low-class fool such as himself would ever have such blind faith in his abilities.'

Slowly but surely, Vegeta began to descend to the ground slowly in order to deliver the finishing blow.

"U-Ugh…" Bardock hissed in pain, clutching his skull after making a rather nasty impact with the rocky grounds of Brench. "H-He got me…" Though he knew it was only a matter of time before the flame-haired Saiyan finished him off, Bardock knew he had to keep fighting. It wasn't just for him any longer… it was for his beliefs, his honor—what _he _himself stood for.

Forcing his strength into his arms, the low-class pushed himself onto all fours by sheer determination alone. However, his arms began to waver, threatening to give out on him—somehow, he was able to keep himself balanced. He then tried to bring his back upwards, but his body just wouldn't comply, internally screaming with agony. His conscience tried to tell him to stay down, though he absolutely refused to, trying with all his might to continue the battle.

Suddenly, his body just quit on him.

He had no time to see it coming, nor any time to anticipate it. All of his strength simply gave out on him, his body immediately falling to the ground as if it weighed as much as an entire building. His arms suddenly trembled; his legs immediately buckled. Unceremoniously, he fell to the ground face-first once more, finally experiencing the cold taste of defeat.

'I-I lost…' thought Bardock, unable to do anything but feel the chill of the ground envelop his body, 'I lost where everything was on the line. My body… my soul… and it's all about to be stripped away from me as if I were a helpless child.' The thought angered him; a Saiyan warrior like himself should never have been compared to such a delicate, weak creature.

But that was simply what he was in this moment. He was not Bardock, conqueror of dozens of worlds and slayer of millions. He was Bardock, a humiliated excuse for a Saiyan warrior.

TUP. The sound of Vegeta's feet touching the ground sealed his fate. Bardock knew, undoubtedly, that these would be his final moments.

"Well, you've pulled quite a few stunts, haven't you?" sneered Vegeta as he crossed his arms, slowly shaking his head at the man below him. "But it's all over now. You were a fool—perhaps if you had sworn loyalty to me and shown your Saiyan honor, I would've let you live. But _you_…" he scowled, his irises themselves seeming to tremble, "_You've _managed to kill one of _my_ people and dared to attack _your _prince. I would be _damned _if I were to spare such a miserable excuse for a creature such as yourself."

"Heh…" mumbled Bardock, somehow managing to be defiant until the very end. "…Go ahead. Kill me. I thought living would've saved this world from Frieza—all my presence has done is doomed it further." With Vegeta and Nappa under Frieza's palm, who would be left to challenge the might of Frieza? Raditz was gone, he himself would perish in a few moments, and Kakarott—

Kakarott.

'Kakarott,' Bardock repeated in his mind, almost subconsciously. His second-born child, the son he'd never got the opportunity to know… did he have it within him to end Frieza's reign of tyranny? Could the Saiyan everyone had forgotten about perhaps have unlocked his potential on the planet he'd been sent to?

Then, suddenly, despair clouded his mind as he realized the harsh reality of the situation. 'No. He won't be enough. Planet Earth, where he was sent, is full of weaklings—he would never be able to even surpass Raditz on such a backwater plan—'

He was cut-off mid-thought by a vicious punt to the abdomen, hearing a loud CRACK reverberate as he was sent tumbling down the wasteland.

"How _dare _you not answer me when I speak to you, you piece of trash?!" shouted Vegeta, leaping forward and burying his knees into his foe's stomach once more, causing the latter to gag violently and convulse involuntarily from the pain.

"G-Gah..." groaned Bardock as he tried to keep himself from hurling up a fresh spray of blood. Though he may have lost, he refused to show Vegeta any sign of victory—perhaps it was foolish, but his pride was the only thing he had left anymore.

Picking him up by his hair, Vegeta forced the spiky-haired Saiyan to eye level before he struck with a vicious backhand to the cheek. "You have disgraced me for the last time, Bardock! Prepare to meet your son in the depths of hell!"

Once again, a nerve was struck within the Saiyan. He'd known he was going to lose, but now feeling it, experiencing it, showed him the reality of the situation: he was about to die, and with less honor than any of his comrades.

"You're just a low-class with no honor!" shouted Vegeta as he brutally slammed his knee into the elder Saiyan's cranium, following that up with another sickeningly loud roundhouse punch.

His vision began to spin; he couldn't tell the sky from the ground any longer as he began to fade. He could feel his fresh wounds pulsate violently with every single blow Vegeta dealt him, driving him further and further towards his demise.

Eventually, it all became just too much for him. Bruised and broken, Bardock fell into a state of unconsciousness, darkness overtaking him at long last.

* * *

"…_Where were you all this time, Father? Have you no Saiyan pride to just walk out on us?"_

_As Nappa was about to interject and taunt Raditz with another put-down, Vegeta gave the bald-headed Saiyan a sudden glare that immediately got the taller of the duo to pipe down. Interested in Raditz's sudden bravery, the prince began to watch the father-son showdown. 'Who would've thought that weakling Raditz would ever confront someone so boldly – even if it is his own father?'_

"_Do you really think that I would run out on my people, Raditz?" The thought actually repulsed him, frightened him—he wouldn't be able to consider himself a true Saiyan any longer if he abandoned his race in such a dire situation. "I did what I had to do to survive—all that matters is that I'm here now, got it?" While saying this, he drew out of his fighting stance, almost as if he didn't have intentions of fighting the trio._

"_The records show that you were on Planet Vegeta at the time of its destruction," came the retort of Nappa, who placed his hands on his hips, "the only way you could've survived is if you fled the planet moments before it was destroyed. 'Your people?' Give me a break."_

"_Heh, are you really in a position to be talking about cowardly escapes?" sneered Bardock. "You three have disgraced the Saiyan way more than anyone by loyally serving Frieza; don't start whining to me because I fled to save my life."_

"_You're guilty of the same thing, Bardock!" Raditz hissed out, apparently no longer having enough respect for the man before him to call him father. "You stared death in the face, and you ran for your life! You've broken the Saiyan code of honor as well!"_

"_Well, maybe that damn code is what got us all killed!" _

* * *

Inside of Bardock, a light was suddenly turned on, and all of a sudden… he felt alive. Though his eyes were still closed, he could feel his consciousness return to him—he didn't let it show, however; he couldn't allow Vegeta to recognize that he was still a threat.

Momentarily, he was tempted to refrain from a sneak attack, seeing it as a 'cowardly' thing to do. But that no longer mattered; what mattered was survival. He _needed _to find Kakarott. He _needed _to kill Frieza. It was the only way to restore his honor.

Determination and courage once again began to flood Bardock's body, momentarily drowning out the pain. 'This isn't over, Vegeta… Kakarott and I will return, stronger than ever, and we'll make you pay for what you've done. First you… then Frieza…'

"And now…" Vegeta paused, summoning up a violet sphere of energy in his right palm, bringing it above his head as he prepared to end Bardock's life, "say goodbye!"

'Not yet, Vegeta! Not until I take Frieza with me!' His eyes snapped open, his eyes blazing with rage. The scarred Saiyan somehow mustered up the strength to raise his right palm, immediately firing the largest blast he could muster up at point-blank range.

Vegeta never saw it coming.

The continuous stream of azure energy immediately pushed him back and towards Nappa; the force of the wave slammed Vegeta into his partner's abdomen a moment later. The impact wounded both of them, but Bardock wasn't done—knowing that he would more than likely be outmatched by Frieza, he'd prepared a last-resort attack in order to retreat. Adding an invisible kiai to the wave, the scarred Saiyan detonated his blast and watched as it illuminated the skies of Brench, smoke beginning to rise from the epicenter of the explosion.

Neither Vegeta nor Nappa were in sight.

Which meant it was time to run.

Immediately pivoting around, Bardock broke into a quick run before taking to the skies, trying to quell the pain within that was slowly forcing him back down to the ground. Boosting his speed by igniting his aura, the scarred Saiyan soon found himself back in the small village he'd first found himself in. 'It's here… somewhere… I've just got to… there!'

His trained eye could spot out Saizor as he raised a foreign object high above his head, preparing to drive it down onto some sort of spacecraft…

'M-My pod!' Bardock internally gasped in relief, realizing that he'd had lady luck smiling down on him on this day. There was simply no other explanation for this massive twist of fate.

But what he knew is that he had to take the ultimate opportunity presented to him. He had one chance to escape, and he had to take it. Igniting his aura, Bardock clenched his fists and grinned with anticipation—after all this time, he would finally get to meet Kakarott.

He dashed downwards towards Saizor, swinging his fist in a giant arc.

Saizor never saw the decapitating blow coming, instantly severing his head from his shoulders and ending his life painlessly. In one fell swoop, the Saiyan grabbed both the object and Saizor's skull in either of his hands and crushed them with no remorse, tossing the remains onto the cold ground.

Bardock paid the carcass no heed as he quickly climbed into his spacecraft, praying subconsciously that it still worked after all this time of being inactive. He tried to push away the thoughts of negativity, but there was simply no telling what sort of tinkering the Brenchians had done with his spaceship.

'They were fools to leave this out for so long; I guess they must've expected me to comply with them peacefully,' thought the Saiyan as he shut the hatch to the pod, taking his seat in the spacecraft groggily—his body was still quite wounded from the blows he'd been dealt by the prince. 'Idiots—why would they so blindly trust me?' He didn't have the time to ponder why Saizor had lied to him about the conditioning of his pod, but he simply wrote it off as another feeble attempt to get him to stay and defend the planet.

BRRGGH! Bardock was cut off in mid-thought by violent tremors that began to shake the ground and the spacecraft, almost causing him to slam back in his seat violently—he'd stopped his skull's collision with the metallic pod by gripping the sides of it firmly and making sure it stayed stable. 'C-Crap! They must've recovered—I should've known they'd recover rather quickly!' In frustration, he clenched his fist, feeling blood ooze out of it as his brain began to run a mile a minute. 'Now… those coordinates… what were they? Damn it, I didn't come this far to die to some idiotic mistake!'

CRRASSH! Though he couldn't see it, by his estimates, Vegeta and Nappa had just toppled a city with relative ease.

"Come on, damn it!" shouted Bardock as he slammed his hand against his forehead, hoping that some miracle would work in his favor just one more time. "I'm sure I was told of my own damn son's whereabouts; why can't I remember?"

* * *

"_I'm a Saiyan warrior, born and raised on Planet Earth! I won't forgive your reign of terror, Frieza!"_

_Dressed in an orange garment, a Saiyan warrior – nearly the spitting image of Bardock himself – lunged forward and met Frieza dead on, beginning the clash that would decide the fate of the universe._

* * *

As he returned to reality from the impromptu vision, Bardock's eyes widened, his mind numb for the briefest of moments. Fate just seemed to be giving him opportunities one by one—without every precise movement, every careful step, the scarred Saiyan would not have survived today.

Quickly punching in 'EARTH' on the control pad, the lone warrior realized he would have to double his efforts in order to become the strongest Saiyan once again, and even more so for his son. The time of explicit arrogance and cockiness was over; the age of training and preparation had begun.

As he felt the pod being lifted into the atmosphere, Bardock let out a large sigh of relief, wiping sweat off his moistened brow as he quickly began to calculate his next movements. 'My wounds will heal with rest and relaxation; I can manage that easily. Once I recover, Kakarott shouldn't be much trouble to subdue if he becomes a threat… and I'm sure he's already known about Frieza and his origins from his spaceship for a while now. From there, we'll have to plan something out… but one way or another, we will stand tall over that lizard's carcass with honor restored to the Saiyan name.'

* * *

Throughout the vast chasms of space traveled a lone pod of a silver coloration, rocketing past the shimmering flickers of long-forgotten stars. A trail of a translucent hue lagged behind the ship as it traveled idly.

Encased in this pod was the Saiyan warrior, Bardock. Though he had been broken and beaten on Planet Brench by Prince Vegeta, the low-class would not be down for the count just yet. Determined to attain salvation for the Saiyan race, the lone warrior began his journey towards Earth to recruit his second-born for the task of defeating Frieza.

Though it may not have been under the most joyous occasions, the time would soon come for father and son to reunite.

* * *

_Thanks so much for reading Chapter 4 of _Shimmering Crystals_, readers! I know this update came out a bit slower than my others did, which I'll elaborate upon in just a moment. This chapter, in more ways than one, is a huge checkpoint for SC. _

_For one thing, Bardock is now on his way to Earth! The time for the Earthlings' introduction to the story is slowly drawing closer and closer; there are so many questions to be answered now. What will happen at the Kame House reunion with no Raditz to interfere? How can Goku and friends fend off Bardock, who is more than four times as powerful as canon Raditz? Will Bardock be pleased or furious with the hybrid Saiyan, Gohan? These are just some of the questions that we will explore in the next few chapters of_ Shimmering Crystals_._

_Speaking of those next few chapters, it is with great sorrow that I must confess they may not be released as quickly as these have been. I've just purchased _Pokemon X and Y_, and a good deal of my time will be spent playing those, and that's not even mentioning college, a social life, etc. Nevertheless, I shall strive to write and tell this story just as much as I always have. _

_Now, I'm predicting some reviews saying how I completely jumped the gun on Bardock's character and that I transformed him into a total hero. In my humble opinion, I'm going to respectfully disagree. Bardock's thoughts about joining with his fellow Saiyans are only to eradicate Frieza - if this theoretical rebellion were to succeed, they would certainly just begin universal domination on their own. Plus, if I didn't heavily imply it in the narration, Bardock is far from a noble hero - he literally just killed Saizor to get to his ship without any questions or second thoughts. He even doesn't feel that much guilt over killing Raditz; he blames it on the heavens for pitting them against each other. He's making his own delusional thoughts as to why it isn't his fault; that's not exactly what a hero does._

_Thanks so much for reading, everyone, and I hope to see your thoughts and opinions on this chapter as we transition into Age 761 and the characters of Earth!_

_****__What will happen at the Kame House reunion with no Raditz to interfere? How can Goku and friends fend off Bardock, who is more than four times as powerful as canon Raditz? Will Bardock be pleased or furious with the existence of his hybrid grandchild, Gohan? Find out on the next_** Shimmering Crystals!**


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